ZeroBen's Justice League
by ZeroBen
Summary: A fresh take on The Justice League taking place in a rebooted DC Universe. Chapter Five arrives... The League has formed following the Invasion. But, in a changing world, is a team of superheroes really a good idea? What will the response from our world be? What happens now as "Backlash Part I" takes place?
1. Justice Begins Part I

**DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT own the Justice League or any related DC Characters.**

 **Intro:** I have returned. It's been six thousand years since I posted anything, wrote anything, etc.. Sadly, real life got in the way badly and until recently, I truly haven't wrote a thing. But, then this came. Admittedly, I'm more Marvel than DC, but I needed something new to writ and I saw this as a challenge. The first arc is your typical team origin. Also, it won't be until the end of the 2nd or maybe even 3rd story arc that we have the full official Justice League roster.

 **ZEROBEN'S JUSTICE LEAGUE**

The readings were off the charts.

S.T.A.R. Labs - an offshoot of the A.R.G.U.S. organization - was on the brink of an all-important possibly world-changing discovery. Lead by Silas Stone, a major excavation was underway. Roughly a month ago, there was an extreme weather event. Storms impossibly strong, meteor showers raining down danger, then bursts of strange out of place snow storms. Many people - resigning to ignorance is bliss - cast it aside as just odd weather in what was an already odd world. But, A.R.G.U.S. - specifically Stone's S.T.A.R. Labs division - knew better. A search commenced, any and everything... Find what caused this and what it caused.

The global search lead them here; Alaska.

Atop the designated dig site, you could feel it in the air... A static, a kick, something nipping at your skin. A strong energy radiating out from inside the ground. As the workers continued their progress well into the night hours, the anticipation built within Silas. Since signing on with ARGUS five years ago and starting STAR Labs soon after, nothing quite this exciting had happened. Yes, they had their share of discoveries and breakthroughs, but this was different. You could just tell... Something big was under the surface, something world-changing.

Then it came... The moment of truth...

 _ **1#**_

 _ **"Justice Begins"**_

 _ **Part I**_

She always believed that when it rained during a funeral it meant the one who died had been picked to become an angel. And if she would have been able to spot the cheery little Gothic girl that no one saw, she would know her belief was true.

Despite this being one of the saddest times he could remember, Clark couldn't help but hide a smile. Martha Kent - his adopted mother, if you will - was the one who believed that idea and found comfort in feeling the cool rain coming down steadily. Clark was relieved for her, but the turmoil still spun inside him. He would never see his father, Jonathan Kent, again. No more guidance... Words of wisdom... Tough love to build character. The sports on TV, the long days on the farm, Jonathan telling Clark to not rely solely on his super powers. For the Man of Steel, believe it or not, on this day there was deep heartache.

His colleagues from the Daily Planet were there in support; Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and a few others. Even the man himself, Perry White, had shown up, bringing a rose especially for the new widow, having gone through a similar instance of loss in his own life. The friendship and support they offered to Clark was greatly appreciated, but he'd be lying if he said it was enough to soothe the fresh wound. It stung deep inside him... The mere thought... Never seeing his dad again...

"I won't say something as contrived as it gets better as time goes on, but I will say... After awhile, you do start getting used to it. The pain, the little empty feeling in your chest, it all becomes normal. You live with it."

Clark glanced over his shoulder, none other than Gotham City's Favored Son, Bruce Wayne, trying to pass along words of encouragement. They had met before... They knew who each other really were... But now wasn't the time or place to delve deeper into their more heroic traits - or lack thereof, perhaps, "Thanks, but I'll manage."

"Your father was a valued employee at..."

"Save it, Bruce," Clark cut him off, "I know you mean well, but I can't listen to that right now. You didn't know him. If you did, you'd know he hated that word... _Employee_. He was a worker. And to billionaire Bruce Wayne, just another belt on the conveyor of Wayne Global."

Bruce cleared his throat, taking a step back, knowing when to...

"Clark Henry Kent," Martha had overheard the small exchange and was none too pleased, "You apologize this instant."

"No, it's all right," Bruce politely declined in advance, "I understand. I have to get back to work, anyway. Again, I'm truly sorry for your loss. If there's anything I can do, be sure to contact me. In fact," he pulled out a card, handing it to Martha, "That's the number to my main office in Gotham."

"Thank you," Martha nodded and gave Bruce a quick hug, "That's very sweet of you."

"I mean it," Bruce said as he began making his way to the limousine, his ever-faithful butler, Alfred Pennyworth, holding the door open. Bruce flashed a subtle wave before entering the vehicle, Alfred closing the door behind him.

Martha smacked Clark's shoulder, giving him a stern look, and whispering... "Since when are city boys nicer than country ones?"

"I know," he sighed, "I'm sorry."

"You just remember what we always told you, Clark," she reminded him, "The kindness of others don't come often, so you best to take it when you can get it."

She was right, he couldn't argue. Bruce had just rubbed him the wrong way. Maybe it wasn't even Bruce's fault, maybe Clark was just over-sensitive considering everything. Maybe he plain wasn't in the mood to accept kindness right now. Unfortunately for him, though, it seemed a bit more was on its way...

"Get yelled at by your mom?" Lois came to his side, a pleasant but fading smirk across her lips.

He shrugged, "Happens to the best of us, I guess."

"Listen," she straightened his collar, wiped away a few drips of rain from his jet black hair, "I know it hurts and I know this isn't what you want to hear right now - If you even want to hear anything - But, I'm here for you, okay? Talk... Vent... Cry... I'm here, Clark. You don't have to go through this alone and I don't want you to."

He sighed, surprisingly finding a bit of relief through Lois' words, "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks."

"I'm serious, Clark," she hugged him briefly, "And stay with your mom. Don't go back to that lonely apartment of yours. It's a frickin' fortress of solitude."

Jimmy Olsen approached next, Lois' personal photographer, as well as boyfriend. He extended a hand to Clark and they shook, though Jimmy wiggled his fingers and slightly winced after the fact, "I'm sorry about this, Clark."

Seconds later, Jimmy and Lois left together, Clark watching as they did so. Clark had worked at the Daily Planet for three years now, his eye stuck on Lois ever since he first saw her. But... What could he do? He wasn't in any condition to pursue a relationship, nevermind the recent loss he had suffered. Even on the brightest of sunny days, it just couldn't happen.

Just then, Clark felt a brush of air at his right side, the end of his shirt flapping in the breeze. Though, to be honest, he had already begun to hear the air being cut. He didn't even have to look to know what it was, "You're late, Barry. You, of all people," he couldn't help it, a small yet fleeting laugh slipped past, " _Late_."

"Okay, here's the thing," Barry Allen aka The Flash, wearing a once nice suit that hadn't held up to the demanding speeds too well, holding a can of - yes - his very own energy drink called _Flashed_ , "... There was... Damn it... I forgot. I was busy last night fighting... Well... Eh screw it, it was Iris' birthday. We were... _Celebrating_. I'm sorry, Boss. I really am."

Clark wasn't going to hold it against him, "It's fine."

Barry placed a hand on Clark's shoulder, both of them turning to Jonathan's plot, "Losing a parent, you know? It sucks."

"Yep," Clark nodded sadly, "It does."

 **:::The Limousine:::**

It doesn't get better. It does become a part of you, but it aches. And, at times, when that ache begins to soothe or you find relief in forgetting for a moment or two... It bites. Its teeth sink into you, remind you... That you're alone now, you'll never see them again. However, at the same time, you don't let it stop you, you don't allow the burden to weigh you into the ground. You remember, you hurt, but you fight. Because... If you stop fighting... If you lay down and let it crush you... Then they mean nothing. And his parents... Thomas and Martha... They'll always mean more to him than anything.

"This was a good gesture, Sir. I know Clark wasn't altogether receptive, but in the long run... He'll be thankful you were there in his time of need."

"When my parents were murdered, I was just a kid, Alfred," Bruce responded, a tad lost in his own thoughts, eyes wandering as the rain drops slid down the windows, "I was hurt, I was mad, I wanted someone or something to feel more pain than I was. But, I was a kid... I couldn't do anything. Clark's Superman... All the power in the world and heartbreak to go right along with it. I have to keep an eye on him."

"For his sake," Alfred said.

"No," Bruce corrected his butler, "For everyone's sake."

 **:::Special Interview:::**

"From rags to riches? Not quite. But, along those lines, twenty-nine year old entrepreneur Diana Prince has worked tirelessly for the past three years to push Prince Restorations from a modest charitable idea to the worldwide leader in humanitarian relief efforts. And yes, she has received financial aid from partnerships with such names as Wayne Global and Queen Enterprises, but that does nothing to change the fact that for as much as our world has changed during this past decade, Diana Prince is helping to change it even more and for the better. Ladies and gentlemen, my guest at this time, the beautiful and intelligent beyond her years, Diana Prince. Diana, how are you doing?"

"I'm doing well. And, you're too kind."

"There's so much to get to and so little time, so let's start off with a bang. Three years ago; What's the first thought? What is the initial thought that births the idea behind becoming this now phenomenon? How did Prince Restorations come to you?"

"I wanted to help. I saw people suffering. People losing their homes because where they worked had been destroyed. I wanted to help... I wanted these people to know someone was looking out for them. I had the means to start the company and as that first month passed, I felt it more and more my responsibility to help because I knew I could do so."

"And, at first, the idea was to help solely those affected by meta human activities, yes?"

"Correct. But, when I gained more support for what I was doing, I was then able to reach further."

"And now Prince Restorations helps in natural disasters, city reconstruction, the list goes on. Now, I heard the ultimate goal for you is to, pretty much, help whenever and wherever?"

"Yes."

"Which has become somewhat a point of controversy, if I may. There are those who say - and I'm quoting this by the way - Those who say the following; Whether it comes directly from Prince herself or it's a collective decision amongst the higher-ups of the company... It would seem that especially in the past year, Prince Restorations picks and chooses where its effort goes by way of where said effort can ultimately be more beneficial to the company."

"That's false."

"Not true at all? Because - and this is for our audience - what that quote is saying is..."

"That I do this for recognition or money. And that's not true. Like I said, I do this to help people. Besides... We are a non-profit organization. I'm not charging anyone. Any money that is made is by way of donations and immediately used to maintain and expand. As far as our efforts not going to every single area that it could... That's what we are currently trying to improve upon. But, it takes an amount of resources and time that we don't yet have available to us."

 **:::STAR Labs:::**

What was stronger? The mystery surrounding this bizarre box... Or the power you could feel eminating from it?

It was cube-shaped, rock-like in texture, but when poked and prodded, it would momentarily shift its appearance, providing a peek to its inside. Said inside had circuitry of some kind, but as of yet nothing had been capable of keeping it open long enough for closer examination. However, through everything established so far, one thing was very clear and very certain...

"This is not man-made. What we are looking at here is Alien-Technology," Silas Stone spoke to his superior, the head of ARGUS, Amanda Waller, the two of them peering through a sturdy window into a chamber where the mysterious box was being contained, "We've known for some time that there's more out there, but this is the first thing we've been able to physically get our hands on."

Silas had his team with him, including Rudolph Jones, and even his son, Victor Stone, who sadly had been confined to a wheelchair courtesy of a crippling muscle disease he had been born with.

"This is great work, Silas," Director Waller commended, flanked by security, one with a tag reading Johns, "I see we weren't mistaken making you Lead Scientist. Be proud of your father, Victor, he's a smart man and he's putting that brain of his to good use."

"Thank you, Ma'am," Silas nodded, patting his son on the shoulder, the two sharing a proud smile, "It's good to know my work is being appreciated."

"Now, keep running tests, do whatever you can to figure out how to keep this open. We need information... We need it now."

He hated to rain on his own parade, but better judgement was telling him to softly go against his boss's wishes, "With all due respect, I think it's best to take a subtle and slow approach," her expression told Silas she disagreed greatly, "I realize the importance in getting results as fast as possible, but I think its reactions to the shocks is defensive... It's defending itself."

"Defending itself," Waller repeated, "Silas... Finding out every last bit of information we can while it's in our grasp is absolutely imperative. We can't assume that we'll have plenty of time with this thing. Every second is precious... Every tiny little detail we uncover is even more so."

Silas took a deep breath, knowing full-well the importance of this discovery as well as discovering more about it. He didn't want to cross Director Waller, but he also didn't want to treat this box with disrespect and just ravage it. He needed time, he needed to be careful and precise. However... "I understand," he said hesitantly, "We'll begin a more agressive approach."

"Good," Waller was fair to her personnel, but she was also very tough, unafraid to apply pressure when needed, and all it took was a look, a curve to her lips, or even simply a movement of her head. She was a young but experienced woman on top of her world with every intention of keeping that place by any means necesarry.

The group watched as Waller and her security exited the room. Rudolph Jones was first to comment, a level of fear apparent in his voice, but trying to be brave, "We have to be careful. We can't just pry this apart like a shipping crate... Who knows what it's capable of."

"I know," Silas sighed, arms crossed, worry in his mind, "But you heard her and you know what she was really saying; If we don't figure this out now, she'll replace us with someone who will," he turned to his long-time partner, he and Rudolph even attending University together, his son watching on in the background, "We can't let this slip through our fingers, Rudy. We'd never forgive ourselves."

"But, damn it," Rudolph didn't like this at all, "Whatever this thing really is..." he searched for words, "... Things like this... They have a rhyme and reason. It has x amounts of knowledge and secrets... But it may also have x amounts of ways to keep that knowledge and those secrets from falling into the wrong hands. We... Need... To be very careful. You know that."

What to do... What to do?

 **:::Coast City:::**

"'Ey, Green Lantern, how ya doin' buddy? Got a new one for ya, all right? The lean, green, mean, machine!"

"I'll give it a think, Sal."

Yeah... Right. Nonetheless, Hal Jordan had returned from another adventure in Space. The job of a Green Lantern wasn't an easy one, but one he took very seriously. It was his responsibility to attempt to fill the role left behind by Abin Sur, the Lantern that had crashed to Earth one fateful night. There was a steep learning curve, mountains of difficulty to climb, but Hal welcomed the challenge and with the weight of the world on his shoulders, kept flying forward.

Everyone knew Green Lantern was tied to Coast City, but no one - save for a very select few - knew Hal Jordan and Green Lantern were one in the same. One such individual was Hal's girlfriend, Carol Ferris. Girlfriend of now six years with no further commitment anywhere on the radar. And speaking of the lady, Hal found her in bed hard at work on her laptop, sorting through business pertaining to her family's airline, Ferris Air.

Hal was about to greet, his ring-powered suit giving way to typical civilian clothes, but was stopped, "If I wasn't buried underneath all this paperwork, I'd be staring daggers at you. Don't start... I don't want to talk."

Hal had his arms crossed, seeing right where this was going, a recent and continuous point of contention between the two of them lately was Hal always being gone. And, through their arguments, he had to admit she had made valid points. Though, at the same time, he felt she needed to understand where he was coming from and just how important this job of becoming a Green Lantern was to the universe as a whole.

"I know... I'm a bitchy mean selfish girlfriend. But... I'm done. I'm not doing this anymore."

Hey now... She had never gone quite that far before, "What can I do, Carol? It picked me! I can't just take a sick day."

"I know it picked you. I know it did because you say that every time. But, you need to understand where I'm..."

"... I do understa..."

"... No, Hal, you don't."

Hal sighed, shaking his head, "I can't have this argument for the billionth time. I just can't! I'd rather close that black hole again - _Dinosaurs included_ \- than go through this again."

Carol composed herself, closing her laptop, getting out of bed and walking up to Hal, looking him in his green eyes, "I miss your brown eyes."

Hal hugged her and touched his forehead to hers, "I'm sorry. I know it isn't fair. I know... You worry and I'm gone over and over days at a time. I love you, though. There isn't anyone else on Earth or any other planet - Firr-11 included, and you know what I told you about Firr-11 - that I'd rather be with."

A smile cracked, however faint and fleeting, but it wasn't enough to mend her heart, "I love you, too. But, Hal, I can't live my life like this anymore. I'm sorry, but I can't. I worry, I get scared, my heart feels like it's pulling apart. And what if something happens to you on some other distant planet whatever? I'll never know. I'll just be here, sitting in bed, wondering if the love of my life is ever coming back. When you were gone for four months... I went through Hell. I just... It's too hard and it's too painful."

He kissed her then pulled away to look in her eyes, the two of them realizing that this may actually turn into the end of their relationship, neither wanting to walk away, but both understanding why they should, "You're right," he spoke softly, seeing her tears causing him to fight back a flood of his own, "So... What do we..."

The Ring started vibrating and glowing brightly. One-hundred percent perfect timing. A perfect means to a perfect end. He wanted to ignore it, as she hoped he would, but they both knew that was a bad idea. They ended the embrace and Hal reached over to the ring, wiping away tears as he activated it, finding the image of fellow Green Lantern, Tomar Re...

"Yeah?"

" _Yeah_ is not the proper way to greet a fellow Lantern, but that is besides the point," the hologram flickered, "Your planet Earth is in danger, Hal Jordan."

"What's the problem?" instantly upon hearing that, Hal dressed himself in the ring's armor, mask and all.

"You have been informed of the missing Mother Boxes, correct?" Tomar Re asked, Hal nodded, "Up until this point, we believed one hadn't reached Earth. We were mistaken. It has just been activated."

"Oh shit," Hal gasped, "Where... Where is it? Wh-What am I-I looking for? What does it look like?"

"We have traced it to a location named STAR Labs in your New York. Do you know where this is?"

"STAR Labs... ARGUS... Yeah, I know where it is."

"Go find it now. Bring it immediately to Oa. If we were able to sense its activation and track its whereabouts, then there are others - with less peaceful means - that also know where it is."

"Right... Okay, I'm on it." the transmission was ended, and Hal turned around to find Carol had already left the bedroom. In fact, she had already left the home, Hal spotting her just before she entered her car, the two of them sharing a sad glance before the door was closed and she drove away. He couldn't just let her leave like that... But the Mother Box... But... Carol... Damn it...

Lantern duties be damned, Hal broke through the open window, flying over Carol's vehicle until she stopped, him hovering over the front, "Hal, what are you doing?"

The road was empty, their cliff-side home out of reach of the busier sections of the city, "I'm not ready to let go of you yet."

"Look at us, Hal," she said, getting out, him still hovering, a breeze picking up in the night sky, "We both say how much we love each other, but do we even really know what's best for each other?"

"But we..." his ring started going off again, though he ignored it, "Listen... We made it this far. What's it say about us if we just give up? Carol, you have to trust me, and I know you feel the same... We can make it work. It's hard, at times it sucks, but we can make it work."

"You're..." ring going off again, Carol gesturing to it, "... You're the Green Lantern! You said it yourself, you can't neglect your duty. And it would be wrong of me to expect you to."

"Maybe I can get someone else to be one?" a stretch, but still an idea, "I've been doing pretty good lately, valued employee and all that. I might have some sway with management. I... I could split time, right? Every other weekend, something like that?'

Carol was about to laugh, but instead came fear. Her eyes lit up and she froze for a moment or two before finally summoning the strength to point behind Hal, "Uh... Uhhh... Green Lantern duties?"

Hal had already turned, discovering three Manhunters coming right for him. Manhunters being what could best be described as cosmic robots meant to destroy whatever their target had been established as. Right now it seemed their target was Green Lantern... At least it seemed that way considering the barrage of energy beams shooting toward him...

Tapping into his ring's great power, he built a green brick wall around he and Carol. It did the trick for the time being, but it wouldn't hold long, "Get in the car... Get out of here as fast as you can! Now!"

"Hal!" she screamed, finding three more Manhunters coming in from the opposite direction, "HAL!"

 _ **2#**_

 _ **"Justice Begins"**_

 _ **Part II**_


	2. Justice Begins Part II

**ZEROBEN'S JUSTICE LEAGUE**

A long day... But all in all, it could have been much worse.

Saying goodbye to a loved one like this was never an easy task, even for the Man Of Steel. But, it was part of life, right? Part of being human... Even if you weren't quite human to begin with. Never knowing his true father from Krypton and now losing his adoptive father... It was hard, but something he would need to learn to live with and come to terms with. Again, it was all part of being human... Even if you weren't quite...

Standing on the front porch of the farmhouse, his mother inside with the few remaining guests, something caught Clark's ear. It was far off... Very distant... But sounded like it was meant for him to hear. And yes, his super-hearing was always locked in, but he had learned how to tune out the white noise. This wasn't a busy traffic jam or loud construction, though. This... It was...

He looked over his shoulder, catching the eye of his mother through the window as she spoke with others. They exchanged a knowing look. He had to leave... Time for Clark Kent to don the red and blue of Superman and see to what ever trouble awaited him. And with that, he hopped off the porch and launched into the night sky, his iconic suit and cape stitching themselves through the science of Kryptonian armor.

Superman had taken flight.

 _ **2#**_

 _ **"Justice Begins"**_

 _ **Part II**_

"I know, I know, but it's the best I could do."

Green Lantern had exploded the makeshift dome outward to buy time. With that, he created a radio beacon to call for help, and then burst through the road into the dirty sewer below. He couldn't risk endangering Carol anymore than she already was. He just needed some luck and some time, though neither of them seemed to be on his side as two Manhunters also burst into the sewers with a third trailing behind.

"Kill them!" Carol yelled, standing behind Hal.

"I'm trying!" he created a mini-gun and began blasting away, managing to take one out for the time being, but the others destroyed the weapon with their own attacks. He couldn't risk attacking them, he had to shield Carol, he couldn't lose her... He couldn't even take the risk... "GET DOWN!"

The two Manhunters were ready to release an onslaught on the Lantern and his girlfriend, but just as time seemed to have run out... The two machines were beheaded by red beams coming in from the sky, and the third was finished off as well, just for good measure. Thank coogily... the distress signal had been picked up, and by none other than Big Blue himself, Superman!

Not a moment later, Hal and Carol were back on the road, catching their breath. Superman lowered down to make sure they were okay and when he knew they were, he had another question to ask, "What are those?"

"Manhunters," Hal explained, "Think... Killer robots from Space. You never heard of them?"

"No."

Hal shrugged, "Well, makes sense I guess, they've never come to Earth before."

Carol's turn, "Then why are they here now? Are they after you?"

Hal shook his head then put two and two together, "They're after The Mother Box. But..."

"... Mother Box?" Superman asked.

Hal cocked a brow behind his mask, "Aren't you Alien? You should know..."

"... More of them!"

Not just the three from before, either. They were joined by two more... Making five in all, not including the three already taken care of. Hal grabbed Carol, creating a construct mask to help her breathing and took flight, "I'm going to STAR Labs... It's where the thing is that I think they're looking for. You got this?"

"Yeah..." Superman went into the air too, "... I could use the therapy."

"Right," Hal took off, "Little weird, but I'll take it. Hey, babe, remember that time you said you wanted to take a flight... Just the two of us?"

"Do not say this is my chance, Hal!"

"Okay, okay, I won't. But..."

"Don't say it!"

 **:::Metropolis Branch of Wayne Global:::**

"I'm sorry that I missed his father's funeral. There was no time for me to attend. I had to record the interview, I had to allocate more funds because of the storms... It's been..."

"Crazy, I know. Corporate business is more time consuming than the hero kind."

Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince. She had tried her best to make it to the funeral for Clark, but it just wasn't in the cards for her to do so. Today had turned out to be one of her busier days as of late, as luck would have it. She was thinking of visiting Clark at his home with Bruce, but discovered Bruce and Clark's interaction earlier hadn't gone all that smoothly.

They were in the main office of the tower overlooking the more populated area of Metropolis. The night sky calm and peaceful, the stars bright after a day filled with rain. They both stood there, looking down on the city, taking in the view. Metropolis... His city... Superman's home.

"So, why are you still here if you're not visiting him?" she wondered.

Bruce shrugged slightly, wanting to keep his cards close to his chest, "Just making sure everything's in order."

She may not have known Bruce Wayne for very long, but she sensed there was more to his elongated stay than merely keeping tabs on his company, "You don't trust him."

Wayne took a breath, hesitant in answering.

"I've fought alongside Kal... You have too... There's nothing but good in him. You don't need to watch him, and doing so will only complicate things more than they already are."

 **:::Coast City:::**

 _"I know grief, Diana."_

The Manhunters were formidable opponents, but Superman knew this was a battle he could win. Their attacks were strong, their beams a force to be reckoned with. They were enough to slow him down, enough to back him up, but not nearly enough to keep him down.

 _"I know what it does. You hurt, you get angry, you get careless."_

One Manhunter down, slamming into an elecrical pole holding a transformer, an instant power outage spreading through the city. A fire igniting from downed poles and broken wires.

 _"You don't worry about the consequences... You don't worry about the aftermath..."_

Another Manhunter drove deep into the ground, hitting a main pipe and causing an immediate flooding that began spreading just as fast. Superman emerged from the hole, an explosion rocketing him high into yet another Manhunter, destroying it in mid-air, the pieces flying every which way.

 _"You see red. And anything that isn't red... You want to paint it red."_

Three down. Two left. Clark grabbed one of the last pair, spinning and throwing him with such ferocity... Such velocity... It crashed through four... Thankfully empty... Buildings. Then, eyes glowing red, an almost-mist rising out of them, he turned to find the last Manhunter, its blasts doing nothing but slowing down its inevitable decimation at the hands of the Man of Steel. But... A subtle hint of there being more under the surface... The Manhunter's eyes glowing bright green... Its energy blasts doing the same...

 _"Then you realize... It's all leading up to a big explosion... One that you're all too willing to meet head-on."_

A massive explosion rocked the landscape, a burst of thick bright green flashed, bathing the area for just the tiniest of moments. The Manhunter was defeated... But at what cost? Superman laid in a crater, green steam rising from his body, a lengthy coughing fit attacking his lungs, weakness filling his veins. The last enemy... A cocktail of kryptonite. Damn it... Damn it... He saw it too. The whole thing... It was a trap!

 **:::Metropolis Branch of Wayne Global:::**

"What about you? What's keeping you here?"

Diana gave the question a thoughtful moment as she continued her gaze out onto night-time Metropolis, "I have to be back in the States by Monday, going home would just be a waste of time. Besides... My relationship with Themyscira has become... _Strained_. They don't approve of what I'm doing."

Bruce had to ask, "Wonder Woman or Diana that they have a problem with?"

"Both," she admitted, "I was never meant to leave. Sometimes... I wonder if I ever should have."

Before the conversation could progress any further, Bruce was alerted to an emergency. With a quick code input, his laptop communicated with his main computer system inside The Cave. He had it set up so if any major news involving metahumans came over the wire, he would be aware no matter where he was. And this was certainly one of those times.

"What is this?" Diana asked.

"Coast City News," Bruce explained, the information coming in fast. The pictures... A battle had taken place, very destructive. Then came the name he feared he would hear... "Superman. I knew it!"

"Wait," Diana wasn't so quick to jump to conclusions, "We don't know what happened yet."

"Yeah? Well, we're about to find out," he lead the way, Diana following him, she was about to be let in on a little secret hidden beneath the Wayne Global of Metropolis.

 **:::STAR LABS:::**

Don't be confused, 22 year-old Victor Stone was very proud of his father. This find was amazing. To be the one behind this project was a truly historic accomplishment. But, Amanda Waller's words, the strain being put on him to force results, the mysterious and unpredictable nature of this box... It was a lot to consider. Part of Victor was proud and wanted his dad to succeed, but the other part wanted him to walk away from this project altogether.

"I just don't think it's a good idea," Victor sat in his wheelchair, talking with his dad in Silas' private office, "I mean, Rudy is right, we don't know enough about this thing to be aggressive. We have to be... You have to be careful, dad."

Silas sighed, taking a moment to sit at his desk and rest, "I'm not letting this go, Victor. This is it... This is why I came to STAR Labs, this is why I've played by the rules my entire life... To get here. This moment... This box... This is... Victor, this is it. Do I agree with an aggressive approach? No, but I'm not willing to walk away. This is no fluke. This... Whatever it is... This is world-changing."

"What if something happens? It explodes or... Or..."

"Son, listen to..."

"Silas," a scientist's voice over the intercom system, "Hurry. You're going to want to see this."

"What is it?"

"The rats... They... Just come see. Hurry."

Intrigued, Silas hurried out of his office, Victor wheeling right behind him. Seconds later they were at the chamber housing the box, two rats having just been extracted, each burned to a crisp. But then there was a third one, dead still, but in much better condition and what... Was that... It looked like circuitry of some kind had been implanted inside of it. Then came video, Silas shown that the first two rats were, indeed, burnt. The third was also burnt, but then something else took place...

"My god," Silas remarked in a hushed tone, seeing with his own two eyes the box healing the burned rat by implanting this circuitry, though it must have been too much and its brain essentially blew out, "Victor..." he turned to his son, "... Victor, I cannot let this go. What if... My... We could be looking at a means to evolve. We need more... We need a lot more."

Victor was speechless, staring at the rat that had been healed, its furry little body beginning to stir... It wasn't dead after all.

"Wait," a man spoke up, a scientist like the rest, "There's more that you need to know first. Now, we can't even come close to deciphering its code yet, but we believe by what little we have picked up... That it's begun transmitting a signal of some kind."

Victor's awe was interrupted by fear, "Dad," his father turned to him, "That means it's letting something know where it is!"

He was right, oh god, "Security lockdown. Get in touch with ARGUS Main, we need guards everywhere. We don't know what we're dealing with... We need to be ready for anything."

 **:::Coast City:::**

Weakly... Painfully... Superman crawled out of the ditch, his body desperately trying to fight this infection of Kryptonite. He saw it, too. He saw it... He could sense it... But he didn't stop... He hit it like a bullet and fell like the victim. His fingers trembled, it was hard to swallow, his vision was blurred, and an intense ache filled every muscle he could feel. Not his greatest moment... Feeling like everyone in the world was watching him on his hands and knees... Defeated.

A familiar zip and rush of air at his side. In full gear, Flash had arrived, kneeling next to him, "Not your best day, huh Boss?"

It felt like it took every last ounce of strength he had just to sit upright, "There's more... I can hear them coming."

"More?" Flash looked around, seeing the wreckage, "Robots, you mean? What are they?"

"Green Lantern knows," even his voice was weak, "They're looking for... Star Labs. He's on his way there."

"You sure they're not just looking for you?" Flash wondered, "We need to get you..."

"I was stupid... Shouldn't have rushed."

"Look, it's all over the news, okay? I'm sure other heroes are on their way. We're gonna get you fixed up, though."

"Do... Do you know where Star Labs is?"

"Yeah," Flash nodded, "Good ol' New York."

Superman picked himself up with aid from Flash, standing weak yet defiant in the face of would-be defeat, "I'll follow you."

"Nope," the Scarlet Speedster shook his head, noticing the incoming wave of those robots Clark had mentioned minutes before, "We don't have time for that."

"Great," Superman fought the pain, "I'm gonna need help with this. You ready for a fight?"

"Speed inherently makes me better at avoiding fights rather than engaging in them," he remarked, warranting a look from his friend, "Exceptions can be made, though."

Much to the Man of Steel's chagrin, these Manhunters also had glowing green eyes. If the earlier instance taught him anything, it's that these were filled with Kryptonite just like the previous. Though, before, it was merely one, not the whole group. Whoever or whatever was behind this... They knew Superman's weakness and that for the plans to be successful, he would need to be eliminated.

"Hate me if you want," Flash grabbed onto the weakened Superman and hoisted him over his shoulder, which was not an easy feat, "We're running away!"

 **:::Batman's Metropolis Bunker:::**

It wasn't The Cave beneath Wayne Manor, but it was a close second. Well... The one in England was also quite impressive.

Already suited up in cape and cowl, Batman was on his computers, fingertips gliding across the keyboard, an image showing his plane... The stealthy Batwing, firing up and launching out of The Cave via remote. Diana was behind him, having her gear always on her should a dangerous situation arise in which her alter-ego, Wonder Woman, would be needed.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Wayne Star Satellite Images," he responded, eyes fixed on the large monitor, "There's a wave of... Robots, maybe... Coming in from Space."

"What?" robots from space, she could barely believe it, "Are they here for Kal?"

"Coast City isn't the place to find him," Batman concluded, "If they were solely after him... They would head straight for Metropolis. They're from Space... It's possible Green Lantern has dealt with them before. But news reports indicate Green Lantern was seen leaving Coast City. Going where, though?"

"Look," Wonder Woman pointed out an image in the corner of the screen, "They're here."

Batman's lenses thinned, what were they doing at his doorstep?

 **:::STAR LABS:::**

Green Lantern hovered over STAR Labs.

Carol was in safe hands, he having brought her far from the fight. That was top priority to him tonight, even when dealing with Manhunters and Mother Boxes... God knows what else. Speaking of Mother Boxes, though... His ring showed him that the Mother Box was located here. But, judging by the current increasing of guards, spotlights and everything else they had to offer, he wondered just how difficult a task it would be to retrieve this thing.

Hal built a megaphone, making sure the sound was amplified enough for every soul there to hear, "STAR Labs has something extremely dangerous in their possession," full alert, all eyes on the hero, "You need to let me take it and get it as far away from Earth as possible."

Slowly, he lowered down to where the main door of the facility was located, heavily guarded, one guard in particular stepping forward, his badge reading the name... Jones. He being one of Waller's more trusted personnel.

"I need to go in there," no more megaphone, only a calm demeanor and steady voice, "This can't wait. I need to be in there now."

This guard, Jones, stood tall, "My apologies, but I can't let that happen. We're on full lockdown. No one gets in... No one gets out."

"You don't get it," a little more stern in his approach now, "There's frickin' robots from Space - called Manhunters, by the way, the more ya know - Coming here, right now, and I assure you they're not going to be as polite about this as I am."

It seemed like Jones was giving it genuine thought, but being a man of ARGUS, he had orders... Orders that he couldn't take lightly and cast aside.

Lantern sighed, "Listen to me; I get this thing away... The Manhunters I mentioned... Won't come here and a shit-ton of lives will be spared in the process. Look, you know who I am, right? You know I'm one of the good guys... You know I wouldn't be here for no reason."

Damn it, Halloween costume or not, the man had a point. Screw the rules, Jones stepped aside and also called off all his men and women to make sure they did the same. Some were a bit more willing than others, but they all complied.

Hal felt like shaking this Jones' hand, but too much time had already been wasted. He pushed past the heavy doors and let the ring guide him to where the Mother Box was being held. Eventually, he found it, along with a whole 'nother group of guards and scientists blocking his path. Which was perfect... Just perfect. He kept moving closer but was blocked by three guards, none of these tags reading Jones, either.

"This isn't yours to take," the unforgettable voice of one Amanda Waller, returning to the Lab as soon as she had been alerted of the recent test results. Silas, his team and his son were all behind her, though it appeared Victor was the only one unsure of whether he was on the right side or not.

Hal was not in the mood, peering over his shoulder, frustrated, but keeping cool, "It's not yours to keep."

"It belongs to ARGUS now," she stood bold.

Green Lantern refused to back down, even in the face of a dozen guns aimed at the emblem on his chest, "No, it belongs to someone who is capable of annihilating this world in the blink of an eye."

"And who would that be?"

"Trust me, you don't wanna know," Hal said, "What you want is to give me the Mother Box."

"I'm not the villain here," Waller stated, "Don't make me out to be. What if we compromise? Keep it here and we'll help each other defend it."

"You don't get it," Hal constructed a bulky thick armor around the entirety of his body. Then he bust down the door to the chamber, instantly taking out the various connections holding the box in place.

"No!" Silas shouted, running forward, Victor grabbing his arm to try and stop but only ending up falling out of his chair, hitting the floor with a painful smack.

"Stay back!" Hal yelled.

"You can't do this to me!" Silas yelled, tears building, being held back by his colleagues, "YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!"

"Dad!"

Amanda said a word, "Zero."

A rain of bullets, the sounds impossibly loud, all targeted at the Green Lantern. Though, he simply caught them all with his armor, turning it into a wall, then ball, opening the bottom and letting the bullets fall safely to the floor at his feet, "You wanna try again... Or you wanna leave me the hell alone?"

 _"CODE BLACK! CODE BLACK! CODE BLACK!" amidst gunfire and raucous explosions._

Not a second left to spare, the Manhunters had arrived and lord knows how many were there. Co-operation be damned, Hal wrapped the Mother Box in green light and took down a wall, ready to leave. Unfortunately, a Manhunter stood right there and blasted away, everything it had, Hal instinctively protecting himself and the others, but momentarily dropping the Mother Box.

While Green Lantern tangled with the Manhunter, Silas made a mad dash to the box. He fell but managed to grab it, ignoring the building sounds of something crashing through walls and whatever the hell else to try and get it as well. Two more Manhunters! The guards focused on one, the other slipping by and targeting Silas with a heavy blast, sending him two dozen - if not more - feet back, crashing into the wall.

The Manhunter destroyed what was left of the chamber, its eyes on the prize. Hal directed his efforts towards that one, creating a giant fist and delivering a punch that would make the boxing greats jealous. The Manhunter crashed through a wall, at least temporarily out of commission. Then Hal built a rocket to blast the other one, though he quickly found it had taken out all the guards. Where the hell was that...

The third Manhunter, the one he originally locked up with, sprang to life and sent Hal packing through two rooms and down a hallway. Hal tried but he just didn't have enough left in the tank to get back up so fast. He had the ring, though. He designed a lasso and snagged it around the Manhunter, sucking up what drops of strength and stamina he had left to hold it back.

Fire, destruction, lights flickering on and off. But, right there... Victor saw it right there... The so-called Mother Box wasn't ten feet away from him. The android saw it too, though. And by the sounds of it... More were coming. He had to take the chance... He couldn't let them take it... He chose to trust Green Lantern. Adrenaline fueling every single inch, Victor moved his arms as little as he could to worm his way toward the Mother Box. The fear ran alongside the adrenaline... The Manhunter was also inching closer and closer...

Then... A twist of fate... The Mother Box exploded!

 _ **3#**_

 _ **"Justice Begins"**_

 _ **Part III**_


	3. Justice Begins Part III

**ZEROBEN'S JUSTICE LEAGUE**

"What are you doing here? And what the hell happened in Coast City?"

Flash and Superman - Clark having discovered previously where it was - arrived at Batman's Bunker. Flash quickly set Superman down in a chair, the Man of Steel looking like he were slowly feeling better. Though, that slow process was going a bit too much so. Flash quickly - _of course_ \- brought Batman and Wonder Woman up to speed on the situation...

"STAR Labs," Batman typed into his computer, "What's at... Alien Box?" his hacking skills were well above average and on par with the best out there, "You said Green Lantern called it a Mother Box?"

"There's a more pressing issue," Flash got Batman's attention, "If we don't get Clark back to form, there's no way we're going to fight off anything."

"Mother Box... Where have I heard that before?" Batman kept his attention on the computer, then it hit him, "I know where..."

"Dude," Flash pulled Batman away from the computer, the Dark Knight not taking kindly, shoving Flash back, "I know, I'm sorry. But we have to do something for Clark!"

Wonder Woman got between the two, "Fighting amongst each other does us no good!"

Momentarily, Batman stood down, going over to a locked metal chest lined with led, opening it and pulling out a vial filled with purple liquid, "It's something I've been working on. Obviously... It hasn't been tested. If it works as I planned, it will thin out the kryptonite in your system enough for you to heal quicker. If nothing else, it should help you deal with the effects. The needle is dipped in kryptonite, it should pierce your skin."

Then came an alert in bold red across the entire monitor... STAR Labs was under attack. They all saw it, but Batman was first to speak, "Flash, stay with Superman. The Batwing is outside, Wonder Woman and I will head to STAR Labs."

"The Batman trusting me at his hideout?" Flash questioned.

Batman responded while exiting the bunker with Wonder Woman right behind, "It's not trust... It's a lack of alternative options."

 _ **3#**_

 _ **"Justice Begins"**_

 _ **Part III**_

Green Lantern all but fell out of the wreckage of STAR Labs. The past five minutes following the explosion was nothing more than a fog of thick smoke and the urge to pass out while acting purely on instinct. A gas mask construct helped out, but the hero was still a bit worse for the wear. And... Of course... Another six Manhunters were in the sky overhead, a moment or two away from striking yet again. Hal picked himself up, hunched over at first until he got his bearings, finding himself in the front where he had confronted that guard by the name of Jones...

"Green Lantern," well what do you know, there he was, "I've lost contact with my superiors... I only have a few men left. What will it take to stop these things?"

Hal caught his breath, "They're after the box; We get that off this planet and they'll never come back."

"Okay," Jones tried to process this chaos in his head, "What can I do?"

"No offense, uhh..."

"John."

"No offense... John... But there isn't much you can do," time for another round, Hal taking to the air, "I'm starting to wonder if there's much any of us can do."

Then came someone... Something... Else. Standing in what was left of the main entrance was someone not quite a thing, and a thing not quite someone. Green Lantern and John Jones didn't recognize him, but there was no denying it, even if only half his face was visible, parts of his body still human. It was Victor Stone, Silas' son confined to a wheelchair. No longer. The Mother Box had changed him... Transformed him into a union of man and machine.

"I can see it..." Victor said breathlessly in a hollow voice, "... I can see all of it."

"Jesus Christ," Hal gasped, the ring letting him know... "The Mother Box bonded with that kid?"

"Incoming!" John Jones and what was left of his squad began firing as the Manhunters responded in kind, but with a bit more firepower. Fortunately, the guards were kept safe by Hal protecting them with a barrier, "Green Lantern, save yourself! The world needs you more than us grunts!"

The enemy was too large a number, Hal was blasted down into the concrete, causing a crater, his body filled with building pain and bleeding wounds. The lethal final blow was next, a lone Manhunter preparing a last blast... Hal knew it... He was done for... Nothing left but to think of his girl one last time and...

"No!" shockingly, John Jones moved at an intense speed with equally impressive strength, getting Hal Jordan out of the way of certain doom. All the while his dark skin morphed into green, his clothes into a form of armor, his eyes big and fully red. The two of them tumbled and rolled on the ground, out of breath, hurt, but still alive and fighting.

While that happened, Victor began feeling a surge of strength and energy running through his body. A launcher came up from his shoulders, producing mini rockets, each on target, taking out three Manhunters, but leaving one still free to attack.

The Manhunter and Victor met head-on in the air, Victor's instincts taking over, brawling with the enemy, winning the short battle as they hit the ground, the Manhunter effectively done for. The destruction all around, he looked over his shoulder at the only other two left standing, Green Lantern and John Jones, the two of them eyeing each other curiously. He then looked at the entrance he came out of, instinctively tapping into security footage, finding himself searching for his father. No footage, everything broken and destroyed.

Overhead... the Batwing approached, Batman and Wonder Woman lowering down to ground level. Diana approaching Hal and John while the Dark Knight confronted Victor, "What happened here?"

Victor searched for words, opening his hands, looking at both sides, trying to comprehend what he had become this night. Then the knowledge came natural, flowing in his sight like he were reading it off a screen, "My name is Victor Stone. My father, Silas Stone, was in charge of Project Black Box... The Mother Box. The Manhunters are after it. I do not know yet who sent them, but I do know 52 percent of them are carrying Kryptonite. Their main targets are Superman and Green Lantern. No... Their orders have changed... Now they are to retrieve me. Bring me back to... Someone... His face is disfigured but he hides it underneath a cloak. I'm only seeing what the Manhunters programming has stored. For Darkseid... I see... For Darkseid."

"Silas Stone's son had a disease," Batman questioned, "You're saying you're him and now the Manhunters are after you?"

"The Mother Box and I are one," Victor answered, "I don't know how, but it attached to me... Erased my disease and turned me into this."

Green Lantern's turn, facing the green-skinned man, "And you are?"

"Forgive my delay in revealing myself," he answered, his tone of voice as deep as an ocean, "My name is J'onn J'onnz. The few who know me... Refer to me as The Martian."

Wonder Woman asked the inevitable question, "Are you with us or against us?"

"I am on your side, I assure you of that."

"We're wasting time," Batman said, "Green Lantern; I'm assuming you were going to take the box off-world?"

"He's too weak, even for a hero," Wonder Woman pointed out his worsening condition, "He needs to be somewhere safe."

"No," he stood back up, though his stance was shaky, "I'm in this. You don't know these Manhunters like I do. They won't stop until they're told to."

"That's correct," The Martian followed, "Simply destroying them one by one isn't an efficient option. If it is an option at all."

An idea hit the Dark Knight immediately, "Then... We tell them to stop."

"Green Lantern is right," Victor explained, seeing it all, "Once given an order... There is no stopping."

Batman turned to Victor, "You said first you didn't know who sent them. Then you said his face is disfigured and he hides under a cloak. Which means... You're gathering more information whether you realize it or not. Keep searching their programming. Find something that can lead us to..."

Victor saw another piece of the puzzle, "... I see a wolf? That can't be... But that's who they... Wait... Now I see... Is there another Box somewhere here? No," he shook his head, "This... This isn't... I'm not one of you," he looked to Batman, Wonder Woman, The Martian and Green Lantern, "I'm not a hero," then turned back to the wreckage, "My dad..." hands to his head, grimacing, grinding his teeth, an ache in his soul, if he even still had one, "What the hell happened to me!? WHAT AM I!?"

Wonder Woman stepped forward, "I understand your pain. I realize how confusing and overwhelming this is. But, fate has called upon you and you alone to bear the burden of this technology. Your old life is over. Your new life begins now. And, for the sake of this world, you need to become the hero it so desperately needs."

"What if... What if I can't?"

"You can," Wonder Woman assured him, "For now... You have us to show you the way."

"We don't have time for this," Batman spoke up, "We need to figure out who is behind this and put a stop to them."

"Do we have any clue as to who that person is?" Wonder Woman asked.

"The Manhunters don't have a set leader. Their so-called Grandmaster is whoever happens to press the button that makes them go," Lantern explained, "If I had to guess, it's someone from Apokolips."

"Apokolips?" Batman asked.

"You said Wolf... You may mean... Steppenwolf," The Martian mentioned.

Victor looked once more over his shoulder to the destruction of STAR Labs, then forward, taking a breath, "Part of The Fourth World. Ruled by Darkseid. What if I can get us there? I... I just know somehow... I think I might be able..."

"Whoah, whoah, whoah," Hal knew better than to jump too fast into this, "Apokolips is bad. I mean... _Bad_. We can't just go there and ask nicely for them to stop. And convincing them to stop isn't an option, either. No one challenges Darkseid and wins. The closest to a win is surviving by the skin of your teeth while narrowly escaping with all vital organs only still partly intact."

"I can attest to that," The Martian said with a touch of sadness in his dark voice, "It is not an easy feat."

Victor's eye closed for a moment, "I can see now... Going there won't be a problem, though. I can teleport us there."

Wonder Woman cocked a brow, "We have to think this through. We need a sound plan first before any decisions are made."

His head dropped, a sudden rush of red and blue moving behind him, "Their target is me. Their leader is coming here... For me."

"Guess who's back," Flash proudly proclaimed, Superman in the air above him, appearing healthy. Needless to say, Flash realized they had joined in the middle of a deep conversation, "Err... What'd we miss? I'm assuming the cyborg and the alien are with us?"

Superman. Batman. Wonder Woman. Green Lantern. Flash. The Martian and... Cyborg? Yeah... The name fit. Victor Stone wanted to be known as that from now on... _Cyborg_. The heroes stood together, all eyeing each other, an electricity in the air, popping on their skin. This felt... Something about this one moment... It felt right. It felt like something that was supposed to happen. All of them. A team, perhaps.

"More waves incoming," Cyborg informed the group, "A lot more. And... I can feel it... Something else."

"Their leader, maybe," Wonder Woman concluded, looking to her comrades in battle, "Are we ready to face this?"

An explosion of pure light separated all of them, a sudden force throwing them all through the air, back thousands of feet in different directions. Once the light faded and the smoke cleared, a lone hulking massive figure stood tall and fierce, heaving breaths behind black barbaric yet otherworldly armor. Its eyes a deep glowing crimson, its helmet pointed with two long horns, and a dreadful violent staff adorned with nasty spikes clutched tightly in its grasp.

Superman was first to recover, quickly confronting the obvious villain, "Go back where you came from."

The monstrous figure produced an fearful smirk, its voice impossible to describe, it spoke a simple... "No."

Superman swung, but his attack was easily blocked by a wave of the staff, then his next punch was blocked by the monster, holding his arm in place, Superman surprised to see Batman's cure wasn't as thorough as previously thought to be, "You don't belong here!"

"The poisoning has dampened your strength significantly," the monster spoke, "Desaad will be pleased. Pity, I think he enjoys being punished for his failures!" the monster flung Superman aside like a doll, Clark crashing through a nearby building.

Superman shook out the cobwebs. On all fours, he began hearing the screams... Innocent people were running for their lives, desperately trying to get as far away from the scene as humanly possible. But then he also noticed The Martian aiding in their escape, Flash as well. Just as Superman got back up, he was driven back down by the monster's staff. The Kryptonite poisoning... He still retained his powers... But their levels had been lowered greatly. He wasn't unstoppable, he wasn't indestructible...

"Hand over The Mother Box," the monster offered, though his words felt like lies, "Spare yourself... Your weak flesh, breakable bones and spirit."

But, damn it... That didn't mean he was just going to roll over and die, either, "No!" Superman rose with an uppercut, but it was once again blocked by the monstrous creature, and he was beaten down with the staff yet again.

"It is over."

"No," a defiant man of steel, refusing to stay down, even as his opponent's arm raised with the brutal staff for yet another powerful strike...

However, that strike was halted by a golden lasso wrapping around his bulky arm. Shocked, angered, he put more strength into it, but his arm remained pulled back. This allowed Superman the chance to grab onto the monster and drive him back into a different building, then laying punch after punch, breaking his helmet in pieces.

"You will not defeat me!" the monster regained his bearings and threw Superman off. And when Superman began getting back up, he was met by a beam of energy produced by the villain's club, causing him to collapse to the ground in a heap, "No one can best Kalibak, THE SON OF LORD DARKSEID!"

The monstrous Kalibak proudly raised his weapon, standing tall. Yet again, though, his weapon was nabbed by the golden lasso, Wonder Woman pulling back with every ounce of strength she had. Then came Green Lantern, swooping in with a huge glowing green fist, connecting perfectly with Kalibak's jaw, stumbling the enemy, but not quite knocking him off his feet. Lantern dove in for another attempt, but Kalibak proved his worthy skills, tossing his club to his free hand and blasting away, taking Green Lantern temporarily out of the fight. Wonder Woman would be next, but Kalibak's free hand found Batman's grapple wrapped tightly around it. Cyborg's turn at the plate, unleashing a beam of his own from his cybernetic eye, right into Kalibak's chest, causing the monster to loosen his grip on the club. That's when Flash zipped into the picture, grabbing the club and taking it far away from the battle.

Furious, Kalibak roared and pulled both arms inward, Wonder Woman and Batman flying in opposite directions, landing in heaps much like Superman and Green Lantern had. Kalibak glared at Cyborg, approaching with heavy steps, "I am not leaving without my father's property."

Cyborg, though the fear was inside, bravely stood his ground, "It talks to me... It shows me... What Darkseid will do with it... With the others. I can't let you have it."

"It is not yours."

"It is me!"

"Then I will..." Kalibak leaped, as did Cyborg, "RIP IT FROM YOUR BODY!"

The mid-air collision sent a shockwave outward, Batman snapping awake after being knocked unconscious. The same said for Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Superman and The Martian. The Dark Knight's lenses turned blue, an indication that he was currently tapping into his communications network, "Alfred. Initiate Batwing remote access. Search for civilians, there's some stuck here."

 _"Sir, what the bloody hell is happening there?"_

Batman watched as Cyborg fell to the already ravaged ground, creating a crater, his cybernetic parts sparking and popping off bits of electricity, "Just do what I tell you!" Batman shouted, running toward Cyborg as Kalibak gained ground, by any means necessary, the Mother Box could not be allowed to be torn away... If for no other reason than that Victor Stone did not deserve to die.

Batman reached his target just as Kalibak did. A brief but intense stare-down took place. The man meeting the monster from another world, face to face, "Mortal. Flesh and bone. _Breakable_."

Batman just stared, scowling, "You won't win."

Kalibak reached forward, holding Batman's entire neck in one hand, ripping away the mask and cape, exposing him as Bruce Wayne, "You won't... _Survive_."

Just as he was about to crush the Batman, Kalibak was stopped by the combined might of Superman and Green Lantern, causing him to drop the Dark Knight, Bruce gasping for air as he hit the charred ground. Kalibak turned to face them but was met by a barrage from Wonder Woman. Punches, kicks, anything she could land, staggering the behemoth back step by step. He responded, though, swatting Wonder Woman to the ground with the back of his fist, the Batwing soaring overhead. The Martian came in for another attack, but was sent flying for his efforts like the others.

"Enough!" Kalibak roared angrily, seething with rage, "Your defiance has disgraced my father. Nothing less than your species extinction will do. Steppenwolf... Hear me... RELEASE THE MANHUNTERS!"

Superman spiraled toward Kalibak with all his might, tackling him, driving him down deep into the ground.

"Jesus," Green Lantern gasped, catching his breath, surveying the obliterated scene, seeing Bruce Wayne unmasked and gasping for air, Cyborg enduring damaged machinery, Wonder Woman wiping away a bloody lip, The Martian slowly rising to his feet. Exhausted, he dropped to a knee, discovering waves of Manhunters on the horizon, "How the hell are we gonna do this?'

Flash returned, eyes wide on the scene in front of him, the heroes all down, "Guys, guys!"

Lantern shook his head, barely able to stand, "I don't have anything left in the tank," he fell back down, but Flash caught him before he hit the ground, "We're all hurt and there's a shit-ton more Manhunters on the way."

"This is it, man," Flash said, trying his hand at being an inspiration, "This is that moment. The moment we all finally come together and start making a difference."

The Martian spoke up, "Losing this means losing Earth."

Painfully, Batman stood up, sporting a fresh black eye, "He's right. We're not done yet."

"Well said," Wonder Woman too, "We fight until we can't any longer. Then... We get back up and fight again."

Cyborg awakened, though he remained on the ground, the past few hours more than his fair share to try and process, difficult even with a computer for a mind, "I know why Darkseid wants the Mother Box. Combining it with five others will result in him being powerful enough to dominate all of Fourth World. After that," he stood, "It's only a matter of time before he conquers everything else."

Superman ascended out of the hole he drove Kalibak into, joining the others, "I'm not as strong as I was... But it sounds like losing to this Darkseid isn't something we can let happen."

"Combining the mother boxes creates something called The Omega Key," Cyborg explained.

"The Omega Key leads to The Anti-Life Equation," The Martian warned grimly, "His ultimate goal. If he succeeds... Life, in all of its forms, will cease to be. He will remake... _Everything_."

"He won't," Batman stated.

"I already hate this Darkseid guy," Flash noted.

"I assure you," Kalibak crawled out of the hole, a grim expression, a weakened state, but determined, "He hates all of you as well."

"Don't you understand?" Superman's eyes glowed red, "Stay down!"

The staff materialized in Kalibak's open hand, Flash's jaw dropping at the sight. Behind him, the Manhunters gathered, wave upon wave. This was it... The battle... The war.

 _ **4#**_

 _ **"Justice Begins"**_

 _ **Part IV**_


	4. Justice Begins Part IV

**ZEROBEN'S JUSTICE LEAGUE**

 _"As you can see right now, this is as close as we can get to what is happening in New York. The STAR Labs building is gone, nothing but rubble and ash. The same to be said for a three to four block radius as a massive metahuman battle is taking place. We have seen Superman, Flash, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman and Batman all combat this monstrous threat and who appear to be two other as of yet unidentified heroes. We do not have an identity on the villain, we do not know where it came from or where these equally monstrous androids are coming from exactly. All we do know is a state of emergency has been put in place for the entirety of New York and surrounding states including the Canadian border, as officials have no way to know exactly how far this battle will stretch. Please, wherever you are, stay indoors, stay safe, this is an emergency of the highest value."_

 _ **4#**_

 _ **"Justice Begins"**_

 _ **Part IV**_

Manhunter after Manhunter, the war raged on. Over the horizon, the sun just barely began peeking out. Morning was on its way. Superman locked up with Kalibak, Batman as well. Green Lantern, Flash, Cyborg, The Martian and Wonder Woman fought with the Manhunters. But, it seemed like for every one they eliminated, two more would take its place. At times, it felt like a lost cause, but they had made the decision to not stop fighting and there was no intention on reversing that call.

Hal with a mini-gun, Wonder Woman with her sword and shield, Cyborg with energy beams. The Flash even tried a cyclone to round them up, but they just kept coming. Superman landed right after left on Kalibak, the villain responding in kind. Batman took control of the Batwing remotely, calling upon concussive bullets to try and slow down the behemoth.

"We cannot lose this battle," The Martian hovered over the others, "Kalibak must be defeated."

"Fools," Kalibak declared, "All of you. You cannot defeat me. You cannot defeat Darkseid. This futile attempt at war accomplishes nothing but delaying your inevitable end."

"He's right," Cyborg shouted above the sound of battle, "I have an idea, though. Cover me!"

"Kid," Lantern created a wall to keep him safe, "I hope the hell you... Where did he go?"

"He teleported," Flash didn't see a blast coming in from behind courtesy of Kalibak's staff. It sent the Scarlet Speedster flying into a pile of wreckage, his body racked with pain, "Ahh... AAHHH! Make it stop! What the hell did he do to me?"

 **:::Elsewhere:::**

Bonding with the mother box gave him numerous abilities, one such being teleportation. He was able to tap into the Manhunter's commands and the Mother Box's wealth of knowledge. It took some sorting, but remembering the name Kalibak shouted... _Steppenwolf_... Also helped. Cyborg wasn't quite sure where he was, but he assumed it was where this Steppenwolf was controlling the Manhunters. If nothing else, it was worth the try.

He found himself in what appeared to be like a twisted lab of some sort. But the walls where a thick, blood-colored, fleshy substance. _Hell_. This place reminded him of Hell. In the middle of a large room, an oval-shaped monitor, out flat like a table. Overhead, the same thing. However, the bottom appeared to be Kalibak's own eyesight, and the top was an armory-like place filled with Manhunters. At the head of the table-like monitor, a control panel. He could hack into it... He could stop the...

"The thing about Manhunters is both their best and worst aspect, I'm afraid," Cyborg froze momentarily upon hearing the sudden voice, a muscular man with red and black armor, long black hair and beard, appearing at the opposite end of the monitor, "They must be controlled. And by that, I do mean each and every action they take must be a given command."

"I'm putting an end to it," Cyborg suddenly realized his being frozen wasn't of his doing, but of this man's power, "Let go of me!"

"No, no, I'm afraid I can't," Steppenwolf stood calmly, hands behind his back, his cool demeanor somehow making him all the more threatening. He walked forward slowly, Cyborg's body being laid out on the monitor, stretched into an X shape, "Really... Did you believe it would be this easy?"

Cyborg struggled, but couldn't move, couldn't even use any attacks, "You're not getting the mother box!"

"Says the little boy who can't move a muscle," Steppenwolf remarked, a series of tools being brought over to them through use of his telekinesis, "I am getting it, even if it means ripping it from your body."

"Thing about having a box inside of me..." Cyborg spoke through gritted teeth, "... I don't need my body to use it!"

Steppenwolf's eyes went wide as the control panel in front of him overloaded, sending a fireball to his face. And before he could recover, he was mauled by Cyborg, rights and lefts before being slammed into the bottom monitor. His body convulsing from the surge of electricity, he was then hit by Cyborg bringing down the higher monitor, sandwiching him in-between.

"Manhunters," Cyborg spoke, hacking into the system, "Execute Self-Destruct sequencing."

Through the system, Cyborg was pleased to see that all Manhunter signals were going dead. As had been commanded, they were all self-destructing. Was this truly the end of the Manhunters? Only time would tell. But, for now, the threat of them had been eliminated. Cyborg lifted up the second monitor, discovering Steppenwolf had escaped somehow. Fine... What ever this place was... Where ever this place was... It would be destroyed.

Cyborg laid waste to anything and everything inside the twisted lab. Once satisfied, he teleported, hopefully back to the others.

 **:::What Used To Be STAR Labs:::**

Weak but not yet defeated, Flash slowly picked his head up from the ground, hearing the sounds and seeing the sights of the remainder of Manhunters exploding in the air like fireworks. Amidst that, he saw his fellow heroes valiantly battling Kalibak in the middle of it all, fire raining down from the sky, explosions hitting the ground.

"The kid did it!" Green Lantern exclaimed, wrapping Kalibak in green chains, though the construct wasn't strong enough and he broke free with ease.

"Our battle isn't through yet!" Wonder Woman shouted, sinking a shot into Kalibak, followed by Batman dropping smoke grenades and Superman teaming with The Martian to land a powerful blow that finally took the monster off of his feet.

"You won't win," from the ground, his staff out of his grasp, Kalibak spat a thick line of black blood past his lips, "Your defiance of Darkseid will not go un-punished."

Cyborg appeared after a blinding flash of light, a little beat up and drained, but okay. He stared grimly, marching over to the fallen Kalibak, "Steppenwolf is gone. The Manhunters are gone. I suggest leaving while you're still able."

"No," Wonder Woman tightened her lasso around Kalibak's neck, pulling back, the villain gasping for breath, struggling to survive, "You aren't leaving."

"Wonder Woman," Batman stopped her, "Alive or dead, something tells me we'll still have to deal with this Darkseid at some point."

"I would strongly advise allowing Wonder Woman to execute him," The Martian said, "He will only come back stronger and deadlier."

"No, Batman's right," Superman agreed with the Dark Knight, lowering to the ground, "Let him go back. Let him tell his father... Earth has heroes that have banded together," he looked to them, "This world..." to Green Lantern and The Martian, "This universe... Is under our combined protection."

Begrudgingly, Wonder Woman listened, but not without a last warning to the defeated Kalibak, "The next time... You won't be spared."

Disgusted in himself, in Steppenwolf, in the failure of retrieving the Mother Box for his father, his ruler, Darkseid... Kalibak stared with rage in his eyes, with burning hatred. Moments and a burst of light later, he was gone. And finally, as the sun rose into the sky and the dawn was upon them... The battle had ended. Earth's heroes stood victorious.

"It... It's over?" Green Lantern chuckled out of relief, "We actually did it?"

"I think we did," Superman nodded.

Flash had been helped up by Cyborg, "Is it bad that I'm bummed I got my ass kicked?"

Batman stared into the sky, Wonder Woman at one side, Superman at the other, "You'll get a rematch. This isn't the last time we'll see him."

The Martian spoke, "This battle will force Darkseid to take notice of us... Of Earth. I fear the war has only begun. It will be long, it will be bloody, it will be deadly. But, as I stand here with you all, I feel... It is a war we can win."

"So," Flash said, rubbing his head, mask off, nursing more than a few injuries, "Are we, like, a team now?"

They all looked at each other, gear war-torn, injuries aplenty, lives forever changed, the wreckage reducing to ash behind them. Yet, the sun shined down upon them while they stood in a circle. The first was Superman, stepping forward and reaching a fist to the center of the circle. Next... Flash, followed by Wonder Woman, The Martian, Green Lantern and even Cyborg. The last... The one not taking a step forward... Batman.

The moment lingered as the smoke blew in the wind around them. A silent, deeply quiet moment where all other sound seemed to disappear. A deep breath, a final thought, a slow step forward and a black gloved hand meeting the rest.

 **:::Central City:::**

"I'm so frickin' sore. Look at me, I'm a wreck! That... Whatever the hell he hit me with... That was bad, man. Bad effin' news, that guy, let me tell ya."

"I'm your girlfriend, not your man. How would you like it if I called you girl?"

Barry Allen laid in bed, watching Netflix like a regular joe, still feeling the fading but present effects of Kaliban's attack. Fortunately for him, the love of his life was more than willing to keep him company while he recuperated. Her name being Iris West, daughter of Central City's Police Chief. She laid beside him in bed, his arm around her while she rested her head between his bicep and chest.

"I'd be your girl any day of the week," he smirked, quickly kissing the top of her head.

She smiled briefly, but a sad thought crossed her mind, "I'm guessing you're expanding further than our little city, huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know," she didn't want to sound like a needy girlfriend, but it did affect her, "You're gone enough as it is. Now... Working with them... Will I ever see you?"

"Babe, don't worry," he brought his arm a little closer, a little tighter, "No matter where I am in the world... I'm only a minute away from you. Anyway... Enough about me and my grandiose super heroic adventures saving the world. How about you? How was your day yesterday?"

She laughed, "You really wanna know? You don't think it'd be boring?"

"Trust me," he said, "After last night, I could use a little boring."

"Okay, but I should warn you... My tale begins with putting on my pj's and reading a book."

He laughed, "We. Are. Awesome."

 **:::Metropolis Hotel:::**

The world had been saved. For now... that is.

Call it the portable Bat-Computer if you would. But, regardless the name, Bruce was back to work on it. He knew he heard the words Mother Box before, just couldn't place it. A little digging... And he found an old file hidden within the cyber walls of LexCorp. More digging ensued. In minutes, he found exactly what he was looking for. A very detailed document, spelling out an instance involving none other than Lex Luthor himself. An instance where Lex had come into contact with a Mother Box and the experience drove him mad. It wasn't long after this that Lex began acting very erratic, leading to an eventual confrontation with Superman, landing Lex in prison. Metropolis Penitentiary, better known as The Block.

Considering his current state of mind, maybe Arkham Asylum would be a better fit?

A knock at the room's door, Bruce not looking away from his laptop, "Room service." . Not a second later, the door opened and in walked a hunched over teenager pushing the cart of food. The door shut behind him, and once it did, the meek and mild teen erased the facade and showed his true skin... That of J'onn J'onnz... The Martian.

"I received your message. You have proof that another Mother Box is here?" he asked, that voice just so deep, so powerful yet calm, "Do you know where it is?"

"Not exactly," Bruce responded in a gruff voice of his own, "But, I may have an idea where to start searching," he turned the laptop so J'onn could see clearly the face of Lex Luthor, "Do you know who he is?"

"I've been here longer than, perhaps, is assumed," J'onn's answer, "I've been observing in silence. So, yes, I know of Lex Luthor and his abrupt mental deterioration two years ago. I should have known... A Mother Box had something to do with it."

"I need to know everything you know about these boxes," Bruce said with certainty, "Especially how Cyborg can tap into any network in the world, but is blind when it relates to the others' whereabouts."

"The latter, I can answer now," J'onn responded, "When the Boxes were scattered... A failsafe was implemented in their very DNA, if you will. They are unable to pick up the signals they can put out. Cyborg knows how many there are, most of what they're capable, but he will never be able to simply think of where they are."

"I should say something," Bruce stood up, standing face to face with J'onn, "I'm putting a lot of trust in you... Someone I just met yesterday. It isn't something I normally do."

"I can say the same myself."

Bruce spoke, "I guess what I'm getting at is... If I'm wrong to try and trust you, if I'm wrong to think you're part of this team... It's important that you tell me right now. If you don't... If you screw us over in any way..."

The Martian interrupted, "I sensed you would want an explanation. Why am I here? Why did I help? Why would I continue to do so? I will tell you... I am the last of my kind... The Sole Survivor of the Martian species. And the reason that I am is because of him. _Darkseid_."

"I see," Bruce said, crossing his arms, "You should realize, though. If we are, in fact, the team we agreed to be... Darkseid isn't the only villain. There's hundreds more - maybe even thousands. In and - apparently - out of this world."

"Give me Darkseid," The Martian spoke grim, scowling, "And I will give you every last one of your enemies."

 **:::Bunker underneath the wreckage of STAR Labs:::**

A heavy metal wall gave way, Cyborg walking through and over it, eye acting as a spotlight in the darkness.

A few dead bodies, scans indicating none were his father. More searching, more dead bodies, still no signs of his dad. But, he soon made it to the STAR Labs Bunker. Door was still intact, lock too, but the keypad to punch in the code had seen much better days. Was it even still operational? Cyborg tried. It took a few times, but he managed to get the door open. There was some slight structural damage, but the bunker was largely unharmed by the battle above it.

"Is there anyone here?" he asked, his voice hollow sounding, as he looked around the area, "Dad? Rudy? Anyone?"

"I don't believe it," Rudy, his father's partner, on the floor, propped up against the wall in the corner of the room, eyes red with blood, sweat pouring down his face and soaking his clothes, a pile of vomit beside him, thick long purple veins bulging within his skin, "Victor? It can't be... Is that you?"

"Yeah," Cyborg knelt down, "Listen... I'll get you out of here. First... Is there anyone else in here?"

Rudy swallowed painfully, a purple tint coloring his eyes, strands of hair falling from his scalp, his teeth beginning to crack as he spoke, "Kid... I'm so sorry. I tried... I just couldn't..." his eyes began rolling into the back of his head, "Listen... There's more... We changed... All of us... _Changed_."

"Shit," Cyborg cursed, wanting to continue his search but knowing Rudy's life was on the line, "Okay, okay... Now, what's about to happen might scare you. But, you have to trust me."

Whatever strength Rudy had been holding onto was now lost after talking. Therefore, Cyborg didn't waste another second, he hoisted the scientist's failing body over his shoulder. Though, just before teleporting out of the bunker, he couldn't help but take one last look... Where did his father go?

 **:::The Planet Oa:::**

Little know factoid; The easiest way to travel to Oa was to hyper-port (long distance teleportation) via a Green Lantern's power battery, which also happened to look exactly like... Ya know... A green lantern.

She was amazed. No, that wasn't strong enough a word. Astonished, maybe? Nevertheless, Carol couldn't believe her eyes. It had to be a dream. This place... Among so many other things... Was so beautiful. The mixture of dark blue and purple in the sky, the brightness of the stars that felt close enough to touch. The structures, the ground, the environment, everything. It was all so strange and obviously out of this world. But, all at the same time, absolutely beautiful. Though, as the brutish, monstrous, Kilowog approached Carol and Hal as they went up the steps to the main hall of Oa, she would be lying if there wasn't a certain level of fear thumping alongside her heartbeat.

"Heard a lot about you," Kilowog, a fellow Green Lantern, of course, looked her up and down, "Hal was right, you're not half bad for a human."

"Okay," Hal chuckled nervously, taking Carol's hand and leading her up the stairs, past Kilowog, "Not exactly how I worded it, Kilwog. Thanks, man."

It would be absurd to say something as obvious as she was out of her element, but how else could she say it? How else could she explain it? It was insane to even think she was on an alien planet, let alone one that was the home of an intergalactic police force. Why was she even here? Why did she agree? Hal pushed it. He said he wanted one more opportunity to prove to her that they belonged nowhere else but with each other. To be honest, most of her talk of leaving was frustration pouring out. She was afraid of losing him, of the one day when he was just... Gone.

They came upon huge and remarkable double doors, adorned with the design of the multi-colored Lanterns symbol. Their progress stopped and Hal turned to properly face her. He took a deep breath and dissolved the domino mask so they could really look into each other's eyes, "I know how hard it is," he spoke softly, shooting stars soaring in the background, "I know I'm not the easiest person to love and that's not even counting the Green Lantern stuff. But, you love me and you do it better than anyone ever could. Even when it was just you and me, and I was testing your father's planes... I knew back then... There's nothing more I wanted."

He sighed, "But... Then this happened. All this. There's so many times - You don't even know the half of them - That I wanted to quit... That I wanted to give the ring back and go home. Sleep next to you every night, wake up next to you every morning."

She was tearing up.

"I can't, though," he was nearly crying himself, "And I know it's not fair. You deserve better. You deserve the best guy there is, whoever he is, wherever he is. You deserve diamonds and gold and to be loved. Not just normal love. A great love. A love that can move planets and create stars."

"Hal," she was choked up, but took his jaw in her hands and leaned up to kiss him.

After the kiss, "So, all that out of the way," one more deep breath as he pushed away and went down on one knee, "Carol Ferris, will you marry me?"

Full choke, tears a plenty, a gasp and hands over her mouth. The frustration melted, the fear lingered but was being buried by the feeling of love, "Yes! Of course, yes!"

Celebration! The doors swung inward, revealing a joyous scene of streamers, music and applause. At least two dozen Green Lanterns were inside, a few of their family members thrown in for good measure along with different colored Lanterns. They cheered for Hal as he and Carol kissed once more, this time a bit longer, a bit more passionate. Once their embrace ended and they both were smiling, a rather peculiar looking orb bearing the Green Lantern symbol came into the scene, swirling around their heads.

"Aww, you guys, I'm so happy for you," a high-pitched voice, a feminine tone to it, "Congratulations! So, will you be impregnating her before or after the wedding? Please don't say during... I cannot go through that again."

Carol and Hal had shock painted on their faces from that remark, "Wow... Not cool."

"What?" it worried, "Oh heavens, did I disrespect you?"

"And that will be enough," Green Lantern energy encapsulated the orb, preventing further embarrassment, " _Mogo_."

"That voice," Carol recognized it anywhere, though his appearance... Dare she say... Fish-like, "You're the one Hal always talks to through his ring."

"Correct," he bowed briefly in front of her, "Allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Tomar Re of Xudar. And might I say... You are every bit as beautiful as Hal Jordan of Earth described."

"Thank you," she smiled warmly, "Really, I don't know what to say. This place is so beautiful and you're all so nice."

"Please," he gesture inside, "We have all heard so much about you. Let us all meet the lady behind the myth."

Hal held her back for just a moment as Tomar Re and Mogo- bouncing around in her little makeshift prison - went inside. He just needed to make sure, "Are you sure about this? I don't want you to feel pressured by this place. I just wanted to show you... This is where I am when I'm not with you."

"I never wanted to leave you, Hal," her voice was soft, "I never will. I was just... Scared, I guess. Scared of the day that you go off on one of your adventures and don't come back. But... If we weren't together... I would be just as scared because I'll never stop caring about you. I love you, Hal."

He breathed a sigh of relief, "I love you, too."

 **:::Smallville:::**

It was a mundane, quiet, little moment. But... It was his moment.

He sat on the front steps, just like when he was a kid, watching the sun set over the field. Everything that happened... His father dying... The battle in New York... The formation of this team of superheroes... It felt like a new beginning. Maybe his father dying was the ending of a chapter and everything after was the start of a new one. Where to go from here? Only time would tell. Like dad always said...

"Better to be patient than a patient," his mother stood behind him, having just come outside.

He looked at her awkwardly, "How did you know I was thinking that?"

She partly smiled, taking a seat next to him on the step, it creaking when she did, "He never did get around to fixing this damn thing, did he?" it was a lighthearted moment in a sea of heartache. She sighed, staring at the sunset along with him, "We're gonna get through this. I don't know how just yet. But... We will."

There was a heavy feeling in his chest, "Part of me feels like... I don't know... Like it's over. He's gone... And I don't know if that's something I can recover from."

It hurt her to hear those words, "Now you know you shouldn't be saying that, Clark. Your father was a great man and I know we'll both always miss him. We'll cry, nights are gonna be the hardest for awhile, but... It's life. It hurts like hell, but it's life. We lose the ones we love, they lose us. Life. It's part of it. The worst part? Sure. But, still part of it. It's just the way it is."

He was fighting tears now, his voice even a touch shaky, "I know you're right. I know life goes on... I know all of that. It doesn't make it any easier, it doesn't make it hurt any less," he paused for a moment, the tears starting to fall, "He's not here anymore. He's... I..."

"I know," she patted his back, "I know."

He took a long deep breath, closing his eyes briefly, "Just part of life, huh?"

"You got it, Kiddo," she said, feeling sadness of her own, "He was always so strong for us. Now it's our turn to be strong for him."

Clark nodded, still staring off into the sunset, "You're right."

 **:::Star City:::**

Oliver Queen was a busy man. For far more reasons than one. Because of that fact, it was a rare sight to find him actually inside the headquarters of Queen Industries. But, there he was, suit and tie, being alerted by his assistant, Felicity, that he had a visitor... One that claimed an appointment was foolish and that if Oliver Queen was half the man he was made out to be, he would make the time to meet, regardless of how sudden it was. He had also been told by Felicity that the person was currently inside his private office, refusing to leave, and wanting to make sure he came alone.

"So," his personal security, John Diggle, walked side by side with the young man, having just gotten off an elevator that took them to the floor his office was located on, "You're just going to walk in there? Oliver, there could be anyone in that room."

Oliver didn't let that dissuade him from reaching for the handle once they made it to the door, "Crime's dropped to zero since the battle in New York, I'm not worried about a potential ambush."

Oliver opened the door and closed it behind him, the chair to his desk turned in the opposite direction, someone sitting in it, but him being unable to instantly know who. That being until it spun around, revealing Diana Prince, sporting just the slightest of bruises on her once bloody lip.

"Mr. Queen," she greeted, "Our companies have worked together before but we've never actually met in person."

"Miss Prince," his response, "What brings you here? Something to do with our business arrangement?"

"No," she said, "Something else. I would like to discuss with you a different kind of business arrangement."

"Okay," he wasn't sure where this was going.

She smirked.

 _ **"ZEROBEN'S JUSTICE LEAGUE"**_

 _ **5#**_

 _ **"Backlash"**_

 _ **Part I**_


	5. Backlash Part I

**ZEROBEN'S JUSTICE LEAGUE**

 _"... A name given to the media by perhaps the world's biggest super celebrity, The Flash, to describe the team of superheroes who defended New York from - I can't believe I'm saying this, even after the past six years of this craziness - An alien invasion. They are The Flash, of course. Superman, the mysterious Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and two new faces... Apparently going by the names Cyborg and The Martian."_

 _"The Martian? Really? Didn't this so-called Justice League just thwart an alien invasion? And now they're telling us one of their members is The Martian?"_

 _"This just in... The Justice League - as made public by their new Social Media Page, yes that's true - has added another member to their roster. The Star City vigilante, The..."_

... ARROW made impact with the wall right in front of his eyes, mere centimeters away from his face. Chest pains, shortness of breath, he collapsed down onto the pavement on his backside, scrambling in vain to somehow get away. He was out of gas, which meant he was out of flames. Damn jet pack took too much, he needed to make more modifications. Though, it would seem, his chance at doing so wouldn't be provided any time soon.

"Damn it," Firefly grumbled, defeated, "Let's just get this over with, all right? Frick!"

"Not yet," the hooded vigilante, Arrow, squatted down to be eye-level with the thug villain, "Not until you tell me why you're in my city when no one's ever seen you outside of Gotham."

"Bad news, _Katniss_. There's a better chance of my escape than there is of me tellin' you that."

Arrow pulled back on his bow, the tip of his weapon mere inches away from the broken lens of Firefly's goggles, "Really?"

"Aw crap," screw it, why even frickin' try anymore at this point, "Fine, I'll tell you. Yeesh."

 _ **5#**_

 _ **"Backlash"**_

 _ **Part I**_

An old hollowed facility hidden underneath Wayne Tower. It was first built by his grandfather as a safe house in case of danger really of any variety. Then Bruce's father used it as an R&D department, but that, too, faded out. For the past decade, it was nothing more than empty space, even going as far as to be completely cut off from Wayne Tower. However, that was all about to change...

"It's not ideal, I admit, but for the time being... It's going to have to do," Bruce explained, leading the way for Clark, Diana, Barry and Victor, "After all... It's not like we can have our own headquarters out in public."

"I still think that's the better idea," Clark admitted, knowing it wouldn't sit well, "People need to trust us. They won't if they find out we're stationed in an underground bunker."

"They won't know because they don't need to know," Bruce said, "They don't need to know anything other than that we can help them when they're in danger."

"Secrecy doesn't always work out, Bruce," Clark said.

Bruce stood his ground, "Says the reporter hiding in plain sight."

"Okay, okay," Barry wedged in-between the two before the discussion could progress any further, "Don't make me move your desks so you two rascals can't sit next to each other anymore."

"Play nice, you two," a subtle scolding from Diana.

Cyborg was busy looking around, envisioning different features to add. A computer there, another over there. Everything state-of-the-art. He could see it in his mind... He knew how to build things... Tear them apart and put them back together right after. There was so much that could be done, including... "Boom Tubes."

Barry cringed, "Sounds dirty."

Cyborg continued, "As long as we can have a sustainable power source... We can add Boom Tubes. They can teleport us in and out. Not just here, but anywhere. Bruce is right... No one needs to know that we're here."

"Ugh," Barry groaned, "So much for having our headquarters sponsored by Flashed."

Bruce turned sharply towards Barry, the anger obvious, "This isn't a game. Your endorsement deals... Your social media... None of it has any place in the Justice League trying to make the world better. You need to cut it out and that needs to happen now."

Barry wanted to point something out, "Admittedly, you may be onto something with the sponsors. But, the social media can be a helpful tool. Think... One area... One thing... Completely locked out to anyone other than us - I mean, it's behind about a dozen encryption and firewalls Victor whipped up. It's where everyone can get information on us by us from us. The absolute truth."

Damn it, the kid had a point. Fair enough, for the time being... "Fine, for now... Keep it. But, I can't promise you that it's going to work the way you want it."

"We need to focus on something that doesn't end up in an argument," Diana spoke up, changing topics, "I spoke to Steve, we may have an issue to contend with," they all waited, " _ARGUS_."

"What did he say?"

Before the team could listen to what Diana was just about to explain, they were interrupted by an incoming transmission working through Cyborg. With a simple flick of the wrist, a holographic image appeared with them. Make that two images... The Arrow and The Martian, apparently broadcasting from Star City. J'onn was first to speak...

 _"We have received information from the villain Firefly," that name caught Bruce's attention quick, "If what he says is true... It would seem we have inspired our enemies."_

 _Arrow's turn, "He claims he doesn't know who, but a major player is calling for villains to gather and unite. This person, whoever they are, basically wants an evil version of The Justice League."_

 _J'onn resumed, "I think it would be wise to search for and confront any and all villains who have been captured since The Invasion."_

"He has a point," Clark agreed.

Bruce nodded, "We'll look into it. Since you two are still there, see if you can find out who..."

 _"He was looking for?" Arrow finished the sentence, "We were, but before we could... ARGUS showed up. Took him. How they knew he was here so fast... I have no idea."_

Diana returned to what she was about to say before, "Steve has been promoted to Lead Operative. Which, if I understood him correctly, means he's high enough within the organization to be given 90 percent of the information they have. He told me this; Director Waller was approached by the head of the NSA to draft their own team of heroes to be motivated solely by United States political interests and military suggestion."

"Jeez," Barry gasped, "So there's us... Then a villainous Justice League and a militarized Justice League?"

"There's only one Justice League," Bruce made sure they knew it, "It's us. We would have to be dumb to not think we would be copied."

Barry pouted a little, "I didn't think of it."

"Neither did I," Diana added.

"Same here," Clark humorously raised his hand.

 _J'onn spoke, "Arrow and I will investigate further. Contact us if you find out anything and we will do the same."_

Transmission over. Once it had been cut, Cyborg had something to say, "I've been looking into it since Arrow mentioned ARGUS taking Firefly. Unfortunately, even with everything I'm capable of, I can't get around ARGUS defenses."

"It's nearly impossible," Bruce admitted, "Trust me, I've tried before. It's a credit to your father. He was a smart man. There's layers to their security. Some easier to peel back than others."

Cyborg sighed sadly, thinking of his father, who he still had been unable to find. Even with the wealth of technology not merely at his fingertips but very literally melding into his own mind, he still couldn't locate his dad.

"Well," Clark stepped forward, "We have ARGUS making moves and we have the villain community doing the same. Which do we tackle first?"

Quite the question.

 **:::Belle Reve:::**

 **:::ARGUS Detention Facility:::**

"Why am I going here? Just stick me in _Arkham_ , I'll be out in a week and you won't hear from me."

"Not this time, _Freak_."

Shackled, shamed, Garfield Lynns aka Firefly was lead down the hopeless halls of Belle Reve Prison. It wasn't quite up to the standards of the recently built SuperMax facility, but it was close. It housed the less super-powered criminals. Though, there were a few it kept that had their share of abilities. Shuffling his chained feet down the hall, Firefly passed by such faces as Blockbuster, Sportsmaster, King-Shark, Brain and Monsieur Mallah, Onomatopoeia and even...

" _Harley_?" Garfield briefly stopped, shocked to find the Harley Quinn seated comfortably in a cell, reading something called a 1000 jokes for a 1000 blokes, sipping a steaming tea, pinky up, of course, "What the hell are you doing here?"

She paid him no mind, far too invested in her reading to tear away from it. Just before he turned the corner, she burst out in laughter, cackling, spitting her drink, "That's why he crossed the road!? Aw, you're kiddin' me! HAHAHAHAHA, I love it! Guards, you there? I need to call Ivy and thank her for this book. Hello? Guards? Yoo-hoo?"

Same ol' Harley. Never mind her for now, though, as Firefly was pushed through an open door into a dark cell, the floor flooded just barely by water. Morons... Didn't they know his power wasn't an actual power? The light to his cell suddenly turned on overhead as the door shut with an echoing slam. What the hell was this? What kind of game was this? Some kind of scare tactic, some kind of head game?

"Garfield Lynns," a voice over an intercom speaker in his cell, "Why were you in Star City last night?"

He walked across the wet floor...

"Splish-Splash, splish-splash."

"Shut up, Onny!"

Firefly turned his head toward the outside of his cell then back to the speaker as if he could see the face of the person talking to him in it, "I already told Robin Hood."

"Let me clarify, Mr. Lynns," the voice explained, "We already know why. However, we like to present our prisoners the chance to personally explain themselves."

"Screw you."

"Very well," a small section of the ceiling opened, revealing a baton being lowered to the floor, "I imagine you thought the water on the floor was a tactic of ours to make light of your prowess with flames. Oh no, Mr. Lynns, I assure you that is not the case at all."

"You wouldn't... NO! STO... AAAAHHH!"

"Zap! Zap zap zap!"

 **:::Metropolis:::**

Had they paid closer attention... They may have noticed the red and blue blur in the distance.

However, the villain Atomic Skull and his Boneheads - their actual name - were far too busy running amuck in the upper class portions of Metropolis. His flaming green head, their cheaply crafted skull masks, and the proverbial blitzkrieg of punk music launching from any speaker Atomic Skull came within range of. It wasn't just about money with him, it was about chaos, about disrupting the natural order. Call it a little Anarchy In Metropolis, if you will.

"Tear it up, Boys," Skull proclaimed proudly from the top of a broke down police car stacked atop two others, arms outstretched like he were conducting a symphony, "I want 'em to hear us... LOUD AND..."

Superman had swooped down, grabbing Atomic Skull and dropping him down onto a nearby rooftop, hitting him just hard enough to make him see stars and the flame engulfing his head to extinguish. Moments later, Skull was able to see straight again, and the first thing he straightly saw was the Man Of Steel standing over him, "You're going to SuperMax."

"Pfft," Atomic Skull felt like he had just woke from an 8 hour sleep, "That's not something I'm interested in, Supes."

Superman watched as Flash took care of the Boneheads at street-level, "I'm not sure you have a choice."

Skull chuckled, "You guys really screwed the pooch this time."

Superman looked over his shoulder, "How so?"

"I bet you idiots think you changed the world for the better," he sat up with a grunt, knowing when he was beat, "The only thing you did... Was rip the nest and let out all the hornets."

Superman wanted answers, "Who's the villain trying to round you all up?"

"Nah," Atomic Skull wasn't giving any hero the satisfaction, let alone Superman.

"So you do know who it is," Superman grabbed Atomic Skull and hung him over the ledge, "Tell me now, Skull."

"Look at you, Supes," the blood rushing to his flaming head as he was held upside-down, dangling in the wind, "A cup of coffee with The Bat and you're already..."

"Useless," Superman tossed him back onto the rooftop surface, aggravated, frustrated. Before, simple intimidation tactics were enough to bleed any information needed. It seemed that now... Things really were different. Stakes were a bit higher and the villains knew it. On the other hand, Atomic Skull was always a bit of... Well... An asshole.

"Anything?" Flash had zipped up to the roof, a simple task with his blinding speed.

"He isn't going to tell us what he knows," Superman turned away, looking out onto Metropolis... His city. What Atomic Skull said was sticking in his brain like a tack. No, not the Batman comparison. More like... Ripping open the nest and letting out all of the hornets. It rang true, too. ARGUS' plans... One villain rallying the others. Damn it... What if The Justice League ended up doing more harm than good? Far-fetched, he would admit, but what if?

 **:::What Was Once STAR Labs:::**

The damage done by the invasion. Coast City and New York specifically. It was a great opportunity for Diana to tap into her company's resources and spread some good-will. For now... A large group of people had gathered at the site of the battle between the invasion forces and Justice League. Now... What was the next step? Apparently, ARGUS had declined in building another facility in the same place. They handed it over to the State of New York with no strings attached. Today was the first meeting on what to do with the area.

Diana stood in the small crowd, flanked by her assistant Cassie and a couple others from her company. Also there was Steve Trevor on behalf of ARGUS, Lucius Fox on behalf of Wayne Global, Maxwell Lord and many others. In charge of the meeting, acting as figure-head of it all, was New York State Senator, John Geoffrey, "First and foremost, thank you all for attending. We all know why we're here, so I'll skip that part and head straight into a few suggestions New York has already received in regards to what should be built."

"From Wayne Medical, of course a branch of Wayne Global, we have an offer to build a state-of-the-art hospital and special mansion tailored specifically to Cancer treatment. We also have Mr. Lord proposing a research and development facility much like STAR Labs..."

Maxwell Lord quickly chimed in, going as far as to approach the podium and step in front of the Senator, "Excuse me if you will, Mr. Senator. All apologies, my friend, but the vision I have for this project is just so much more than a simple STAR Labs comparison. If I may?"

"If you may?" Diana just had to speak up, "Normally, Max, one asks if they may... Before they speak. Not after?"

Maxwell smirked, a twinkle to his eye, always fond of Diana Prince, "True, Beautiful. Very true. But... Beg my pardon. I'm ahead of myself... I'm excited, okay? Let me just express myself here. Picture this..." he raised his arm as if he were showing off a new billboard or something, "CADMUS. The true core of tomorrow... The nucleus of the future. This isn't STAR Labs, this isn't a secretive shadowy government agency or another notch in the belt of Bruce Wayne. See, I want a place... One single place... One mind to which knowledge, security, and creative scientific genius can be born. And, guess what else? One-hundred percent transparency. You heard me right... No secrets, no hidden agendas, no surprises."

Diana and Steve shared a brief glance, even Lucius joining in. History lesson on Maxwell Lord... He was young, brash, way too loud, and whether or not his intentions were pure, he had a way of bending the truth. Sometimes it paid off, sometimes it landed him in hot water. However, no matter how deep or how wide, he always seemed to manage to swim his way out. His main business venture was LordTech. Robotics, specifically.

"LordTech will merge with CADMUS. My Robotics Division... My award-winning Robotics Division, toot toot... will be part of CADMUS. We will have a genetics division. We will have a..."

Attention was stolen away as thick clouds quickly rolled in, hiding the sunlight. Claps of thunder came next, coupled with the start of a cold rain fast evolving into a downpour. Diana knew it before anyone else, even Steve Trevor... This wasn't natural... It was something else entirely. To be blunt... Metahuman activity. She began warning everyone, telling them to get clear as fast as they could, but as she did, a man in a ragged STAR Labs white coat appeared in the sky, arms out straight, winds whipping all around his body, the tail of his coat going every which way.

"Everyone leave," Diana ordered, wishing she had her gear ready, rather than the heels and short skirt she had on. Though, she did have her communicator handy, "Cyborg? We have trouble at the meeting. I can take care of it, but I need my gear. Can you jump it to me?"

 _"Yeah, but are you sure you can handle it yourself?"_

"Victor..."

 _"Right, sorry. Sending your gear now."_

"NO MORE TRYING TO CONTROL POWER YOU CAN'T EVEN BEGIN UNDERSTAND!" the man's voice roared, echoing in the winds, a bolt of lightning obliterating the podium Maxwell Lord was just standing behind, sending the young man back dozens of feet to the ground in a painful heap.

"STAR Labs employee," Steve said to Diana, pulling out a sidearm. It wasn't much, but it was all he had at the moment.

"Okay, man," Max picked himself up, bravely - or perhaps, foolishly - standing up to this man's sudden and destructive appearance, "Let's talk, okay? Who are you? Former STAR Labs emplo..."

"SHUT UP!" a cluster of wind picked Max up and threw him even further than before, knocking him out cold upon impacting the ground.

"Diana," Lucius called out, leading a few people away from danger, pointing over to something, "I believe a package arrived for you."

Diana partly smirked, realizing Cyborg came through, "Thanks, Lucius."

"No," Steve grabbed her arm just as she was making her way over, speaking quietly, "You can't."

"I've survived far worse."

"It's not that," the winds were rapidly approaching hurricane-force, "They haven't put two and two together yet. No one realizes who you are."

Oh, he was right. But, considering the dire circumstances... Who cares if she... But... Kal said to be more open... Bruce said to be more secretive. If she donned the armor and weapons here and now... There would be no question. She had managed to distance her two personas from each other. But, as said, taking up arms here...

"STAR LABS DID THIS TO ME! TURNED ME INTO THIS!" the man roared, the rains heavier than ever, "NO ONE CAN WIELD POWER. NO ONE UNDERSTANDS IT!"

More lightning and now balls of hail pelting everything and everyone in sight. Not to mention, his proverbial wingspan was widening aggressively. Secrets be damned... Diana had no other option! She ran towards her gear, wincing at first at the intense heat felt upon touch, a side-effect of teleporting. No time to waste, she kicked off her heels, tossed aside her glasses, let her hair down, tucked her lasso into the band of her skirt, placed her shield on her back and gripped her sword. Consequences be damned.

"She's... Diana Prince is... She's Wonder Woman!?"

She boldly approached the man causing this insanity, "End this now and we can both walk away peacefully."

"WHERE THERE'S POWER... THERE'S NO PEACE!" he shot a lightning bold down from the sky...

Wonder Woman blocked it well, ducking behind her shield, the electricity dissipating upon impact, "Everyone... Steve Trevor included... Leave immediately. This will..."

"WHY ARE YOU STILL TALKING!?"

The winds picked up in ferocity, the Amazon's feet digging into the earth, cracking with blood as she somehow stood her ground, despite the difficulty in doing so, "You aren't in control!" she shouted, "This is growing too fast!"

He lowered to the ground, confronting Diana face to face, the remains of a name tag barely hanging from his coat. It was too worn and ragged to read, though, "Your battle..." for a moment, his voice was more human, his eyes even softened, showing he wasn't completely lost to whatever this power was, "... Oh, the ripples in the water..." his breathing quickened, his muscles ached and tense, face tightened, fingers cracked as they shook, the weather intensifying... "Please... Now... While I can still..."

Diana snagged him in her lasso and brought him in close, using the butt of her sword to hit him right between the eyes, sending him flat to the ground, eyes closing, bruising, nose broken and bleeding. Overhead, the weather immediately lightened, the clouds drifting away, the sun returning, rain thinning before clearing completely.

"Who are you?" she asked, lasso tight.

Through eyes barely open and coughing, he spoke, "Marco Mardon. I... Was a scientist... At STAR Labs."

"What happened to you?"

"During the battle..." he was losing consciousness, "We all... _Changed_."

"Changed... You mean powers?" she asked, but he was asleep, the impact of her attack too much for him to endure. Goddess... She looked around. More destruction. More injured innocents. Maxwell Lord was a mess, screaming out, his arms and legs visibly broken. Then she saw the faces... The people staring at her in awe... Steven turning and walking away, Lucius nodding graciously, The Senator shaking his head.

"Cyborg? If you can hear me... Alert the others... Copycats aren't our only problem anymore."

 _ **6#**_

 _ **"Backlash"**_

 _ **Part II**_


End file.
